Friday, March 12, 2010

BARBERRY PILAF - PILAF AUX BARBERRIES

People who know me must have gathered by now that I very much enjoy the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. The incredible flavors as well as the ingredients used set my soul on fire and I really love the way that food is prepared. In those regions of the world, the dishes have this special holiday feel that brings sunshine and happiness to the table...

Nowadays, I cook at least one or two Middle Eastern/Mediterranean dishes a month. That kind of food is so fine that I could feed on it on a daily basis. Just to think about it makes me drool and crave the exhaliratig flavors of cumin, allspice, sumac, cinnamon, rose water, tahini, spinach, pine nuts, chickpeas, fresh flat bread, eggplants, tomatoes, lamb, oregano, dill, coriander, etc... I now have an irrepressible need to take a trip to my favorite Lebanese (Goodtaste, 2 chemin sur Grosse, 01210 ferney Voltaire, France) and Balkanic (Shala Mutimarché, 83 rue de Lyon, 1203 Genève) foodstores and raid both of them!So, last Saturday, I decided to make one of my favorite Lebanese-inspired dishes that consists of fluffy "Barberry Pilaf" served with fried fish or chicken breasts (this time I opted for chicken) and a wonderfully creamy tahini (I'm addicted to it) pomegranate sauce. It is a meal we appreciate a lot and which I cook on a regular basis.

Baberry fruits grow on spiny shrubs of the genus Berberis. Several varieties exist and depending on the variety, the fruits may vary in color from black or purple to white or yellow. Of all the barberries, the common barberry or the jaundice berry is most commonly eaten. This fruit is native to Europe and temperate Asia. It is grown in many parts of the globe, but Iran is the largest producer of zereshk (barberries) in the world.

Barberries are quite acidic and very rich in vitamin C. They somehow remind me of cranberries with their sharp taste and tart flavor. You probably wouldn't want to eat them fresh out of hand.In the past, the fruits were usually preserved with some sort of sweetener to make preserves, jellies, preserves, and syrup, or were candied. They were also prepared as a pickle in vinegar, and used in pies and other baked goods. Now, we generally find them dried and we use them much like we use dried currants.

Although you can find many recipes for "Barberry Pilaf" the recipe I am sharing with you today is the product of my own imagination. I came up with that recipe when i wanted to make a use of my barberries and thze Gulf spice mix that Corinnne (thanks, I need more LOL !!!) had kindly given me.

The Basmati rice has a wonderful round flavor and refined fragrance thanks to the spices, onion and garlic. It is perfectly well-balanced. The addition of barberries brings an interesting and contrasting tang to the whole dish. Delightful!~ Barberry Pilaf ~Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.Ingredients:1 Tbs Olive oil1 Onion, finely chopped2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped1 1/2 Tsp Baharat spice mix (Gulf-style)3/4 Tsp Ground cumin1/4 Tsp Ground cinnamon4 Tbs Dried barberries280g Basmati rice530ml/g Water1 Cube Organic chicken stockSalt, to tastePepper, to taste30g Unsalted butterMethod:1. In a large pan, fry the onion and garlic in oil until soft, golden and transclucid (onion).2. While the onions and garlic and frying, wash the basmati rice under cold water, until the water is clear. Strain well and set aside.3. Add the spices to the onion in the pan and stir fry them until fragrant (1 minute max).4. Add the water, cube chicken stock rice and barberries. Salt and pepper to taste.5. Over high heat, stir constantly and bring to the boil.6. Once it boils, lower the temperature (lowest possible) and cover with a lid.7. Cook with the lid on for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for another 12 minutes with the lid on (see remarks).8. Lift the lid, add a little butter and stir delicately with a fork.9. Serve.Remarks:When making Basmati rice (point 7), always keep in mind that you have to use the same recipient to measure the rice and water (2x recipient of rice for 3 1/2 x recipient of water). The recipient I used for this recipe had a 3/4 cup capacity (2 x 3/4 cup of rice for 31/2 x 3/4 cup of water).When the rice is cooking or resting DO NOT lift the lid (or stir the rice), otherwise you'll liberate the steam and will end up with a badly cooked rice as well as mush.

Serving suggestions:Serve this rice as an accompaniment to meat (steak, chicken breasts, duck leg/breast, lamb roast, roasted turkey, game, etc...) or fish (friend or steamed).I recommend you to serve both the meat/fish and rice with a tahini sauce called "Tarator" or with the cooked version of this sauce.

Must smell divine when you are cooking this up, Rosa! We grow barberry here for a thick and thorny privacy hedge, but I don't know if they are edible. Would like to find them at a ME grocer. Thanks for the tip!

If given a choice on a menu I gravitate towards Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cooking as well Rosa. I have not heard of barberries but they look similar to Saskatoon berries so they could probably substitute well.

Wow, lovely .... I love barberry. I have 3 of her book, but none of them is the one you have here. I must look for that book asap. One of her book is odd enough an Asian cookbook. Anyway, I like most of her Turkish recipes. Have a wonderful weekend Rosa,elra

The fact that my paternal relatives are from the Middle East (Lebanon and Syria) may have something to do with me being a huge fan of Middle Eastern cuisine. So as I was reading this entry, I was drooling right along with you.I'm very familiar (and oh, so enamored) with all its wonderful ingredients...except barberries. I've never had them, but I'll fix that.

Rosa,I'm so sorry to hear about Fridolin. But, look at it on a bright sight right, he is 15, and has been quite healthy all his life. Hope this healer can at least ease his pain. Good to know that he has good appetite.

Rosa,Thank you for the great cookbook recommendations, I have been looking for a good Middle Eastern and Moroccan cookbook.I have been cooking with more Middle Eastern ingredients lately, since I found a great market near by.Stacey

Rosa, you are such an inspiration! I have received the book Arabesque as a gift and never used it! I will be checking it out today! I love all the spices you mentioned so I am sure I will find something to make easily. Thanks!

I am very happy that you love Lebanese food; I also love your pilaf and barberries; I discovered these in California when I had a lot of Persian friends who made this rice; this is not something that is cooked in Lebanon originally (maybe the restaurants in your area market it as Lebanese but it is Persian)Persian food is my next favorite after Lebanese food, sometimes even taking first place!

I have 4 little suprises for u on the link below .which jus might be the last at VAnillaStrawberrySpringfields co z i'll be moving to BSM soon....So do hop and see why i think u are a fantastic, creative blogger and my happy pals...cheers and so do hope u enjoy it too.... http://vanillastrawberryspringfields.blogspot.com/2010/03/wedding-stori-valentine-wedding-cake.html

Wow, what a fantastic recipe and stunning photos - as it says on one of them, perfect! I'd love to come and look through your cookbooks one day and I can only imagine how wonderful this tastes. Have a great Sunday!